After a run of good performances, including two successive home wins, Mansfield Town turned in a horror show at home to Bury on Tuesday night, as the visitors thoroughly deserved their 4-1 victory. The Stags were terrible all over the pitch and were outplayed from the moment Bury took the lead. It was hard to fathom why Mansfield were so poor. Bury, in contrast, were excellent after taking the lead, and played with confidence that reflected their tremendous recent run of form. After a quiet opening 25 minutes with neither side registering a decent chance, Bury went in front as Danny Mayor ran at the Stags defence to the edge of the box and fired a lot shot, without power into the bottom right corner of the net. He was not closed down by the defence, which was disappointing, and Marriott should have been able to get a hand on it to tip it wide in my opinion. Bury controlled the game from then on, and increased the lead on 56 minutes as the impressive Craig Jones crossed from the right and striker Daniel Nardiello was in the right place to tap home from two yards, via the left post. Nardiello, on £2.5k per week at Bury, is a striker out of Mansfield’s league financially, and he made the Stags pay again on 63 minutes with a superb goal, outpacing Dempster and chipping over Marriott. The Stags pulled a goal back on 70 minutes as Daniel did very well to get in a cross from the left, and Bury keeper Jenson flapped it straight into the path of Clucas who stabbed into the roof of the net from close range, for his 13th goal of the season. But any minor hopes of a comeback were extinguished within 60 seconds as Bury made it 4-1, Marriott tipped away another good cross from Craig Jones and Jake Carroll fired a miscued shot into the ground and into the left corner of the net. Game over. The Stags failed to muster a single corner in the entire 90 minutes. Bury’s 3-5-2 formation worked perfectly for manager David Flitcroft, with wingbacks Craig Jones on the right and Jake Carroll on the left tormenting the Stags all night, whereas the formation did not work for the Stags, with Westlake and Daniel unable to create much going forward. A thoroughly miserable night was made worse with news of wins for Northampton and Wycombe below the Stags. The Stags will need to bounce back quickly.

The game went ahead at the third time of asking, after two Tuesday postponements. It was Mansfield's first evening kick-off at the One Call Stadium in the league since returning to the Football League.

The Stags looked nervy from the start and, after trailing 1-0 at the break, lost two quick in seven minutes to a Daniel Nardiello brace after the break.

Sam Clucas’ 13th goal of the season on 70 minutes offered brief hope until Jake Carroll made it 4-1 within 60 seconds.

It was Mansfield’s worst showing since the Boxing day defeat at Rochdale and saw Bury, now unbeaten in six, leapfrog them in the table with a tough trip to Dagenham and Redbridge ahead on Saturday.

Bury threatened down the right in only the second minute, but Marriott managed to smother Jones’ dangerous low cross at the second attempt.

Mansfield then produced a chance as Clucas did well to skin Jones down the left and cross to Rhead at the far post, whose nod-down was grabbed by Jensen before Stevenson could pounce.

Jones complained he had been caught by Clucas’ arm as he challenged him before the cross and went down for lengthy treatment which ended with a bandage put round a cut and his shirt changed.

Tafazolli then headed Bury’s first corner clear at the near post.

McNulty got in a good block as Rhead and Clucas combined to get the ball to Stevenson in the box as we reached the 15-minute mark of a scrappy game, littered with loose passes.

Another hold-up followed on 21 minutes after Platt was caught by a high boot from Tafazolli.

Neither side had tested the keeper until Bury produced a goal out of nothing on 25 minutes.

Mayor was offered time and space on the ball just left of centre and threaded a perfectly-placed low finish from 20 yards just past Marriott’s outstretched fingers and inside the far post.

Clucas went down in the Bury box as Mills challenged soon after but was never likely to win a penalty.

Then Rhead helped a long ball forward on to Clucas seven yards out, but with two defenders closing in on him quickly, he could only manage to poke wide.

Nardiello robbed Tafazolli on the left and then sent Jones to the by-line for a cross that beat Marriott’s fingers and saw Sutton superbly head out for a corner before any opponent could find a finish.

On 33 minutes Clucas made room for himself to get away a powerful low finish at the Bury goal, Jensen always in the way.

A long Clements free kick found Howell on the left of the box, but his header was too near the keeper.

Instead, the visitors almost doubled their lead after a loose pass from Tafazolli on 39 minutes.

Mayor whipped in a low, powerful cross from the right and Nardiello met it first time with a rising finish that the Bury players felt Marriott tipped over, the referee giving only a goalkick.

Clucas was high and wild soon afterwards.

Amazingly there were chants of ‘what a load of rubbish’ with just 41 minutes on the watch from home fans in the South Stand, which was hardly likely to encourage the players.

Five added minutes produced nothing as Stags left the pitch to a mixture of boos and applause.

Stevenson shot over the near angle from Daniel’s pass inside within 15 seconds of the restart as Stags tried to make an immediate impact.

Rhead won a free kick 20 yards out on 49 minutes, but Clements was well over to groans from the stands.

Jensen was furious after Rhead made the slightest of contacts with him after he had caught the ball, the referee having to lecture the pair at length.

On 53 minutes Mayor went down under Westlake’s challenge in the box, but the referee waved play on and Tutte’s low shot was parried by Marriott.

But it was 2-0 three minutes later. Mayor drilled in a low cross from the right by-line right across the face of goal and Nardiello found the net off the inside of the far post near his feet, the ball bouncing back across goal and over the line.

Daniel then jumped into a challenge on Jones to earn a 57th minute booking.

Westlake fed Stevenson into the Bury box but Carroll took the ball off him just as he was about to pull the trigger on 61 minutes.

Two minutes later it was all over as Nardiello held off the challenge of Dempster from a long ball forward and, spotting Marriott off his line, lobbed him to perfection from the right hand side of the box.

Stags had just replaced Rhead with Palmer, but it now looked like game over.

On 67 minutes Leicester loanee Cain made his debut in place of Clements.

Three minutes later Stags pulled one back. Daniel’s cross from the left was only palmed by Jensen to the lurking Clucas who, from close range, turned the ball up against the underside of the bar and it bounced over the line.

But within a minute Bury had restored their three-goal advantage as Marriott pushed a right wing cross straight to Carroll who, from 14 yards found the top left corner.

Goalscorer Carroll was then booked for his clash with Westlake on the left.

Palmer should have pulled another back three minutes from time, but blasted across the face of goal from close range.

BURY finally hit top gear under David Flitcroft with a classy demolition of Mansfield at the One Call Stadium.

The Shakers had been in fine form since the turn of the year, with just one defeat in nine matches going into the showdown with the Stags.

But they had failed to score more than one goal in a game since New Year's Day.

Danny Mayor started the overdue rout with a well-placed drive in the 25th minute before laying on two second-half goals for striker Daniel Nardiello.

And while Sam Clucas gave the Stags faint hopes of a comeback 20 minutes from time, Huddersfield loanee Jake Carroll extinguished those with his first goal in Bury colours just a minute later.

Captain Craig Jones was given a rude introduction to the match, suffering a nasty head wound in only the seventh minute following what looked like an elbow from giant wing-back Colin Daniel.

The Shakers skipper was able to carry on, with the aid of some heavy strapping and half-time stiches.

It looked like Flitcroft’s side would be in for a bruising encounter as challenge after challenge flew in during the opening stages.

But after showing they could deal with the rough stuff, Bury slowly wrestled control of the ball.

And it wasn’t long before Mayor opened the scoring, cutting in from the left and to rifle a low drive into the bottom corner from the of the box.

It was the midfielder’s second goal in as many games, following his last-gasp winner at Wimbledon on Saturday, and Bury never looked back after that.

They stroked the ball around with ease, restricting Clucas to a couple of half chances, with the striker prodding a loose ball wide from close range before testing Bury stopper Brian Jensen with a hooked shot from 30 yards.

The Shakers were unlucky not to take a two-goal advantage into the break, however, after Nardiello poked a wicked low ball from Mayor just over.

Bury were soon two goals to the good, though, as Mayor popped up on the right to find Nardiello with another great low ball in the 56th minute, although the Bury striker’s close-range effort only found the back of the net via the inside of the back post.

The victory looked to have been sealed just six minutes later as Mayor put Nardiello through again and this time he crafted an exquisite lob from 30 yards for his second of the night.

But while Clucas seized on a mistake from Jensen to tap into an empty net, Carroll’s stabbed shot looped over Alan Marriott in the Stags’ goal to seal the three points.

Nardiello almost became the first Bury player to score a hat-trick since 1999, but Marriott blocked his last shot while Stags substitute Ollie Palmer missed the chance of a consolation, dragging an effort across goal with four minutes remaining.

There was no way the hosts were going to spoil the Shakers party, though, as they stretched their unbeaten run to six matches and moved up five places to 15th in the League Two table.

THE performances and results were already there, all that was missing was the goals and they duly arrived at the One Call Stadium.

While the Shakers’ defence has rightly been winning all the plaudits, when the attackers finally took their chance to shine on Tuesday night the proud Stags looked more like deer trapped in the headlights.

Saturday’s goal hero Danny Mayor was their tormentor behind the wheel - driving Bury forward on an emotional night for him personally.

The 24-yar-old midfielder started the classy demolition job with a well-placed drive in the 25th minute before laying on two second-half goals for striker Daniel Nardiello.

And while Sam Clucas gave the Stags faint hopes of a comeback 20 minutes from time, Huddersfield loanee Jake Carroll extinguished those with his first goal in Bury colours just a minute later.

“It’s a special performance from Danny Mayor,” said manager David Flitcroft after the match, despite being reluctant to pick out any individuals following a fantastic team performance.

“He had problems yesterday and I wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to play.

“So it was an emotional night for Danny, but he has represented his family and I’m proud to be his manager tonight.”

While Mayor took centre stage, it was the first time Bury as a whole had really hit top gear under Flitcroft.

Despite being in fine form since the turn of the year, with just one defeat in 10 matches, they had failed to score more than one goal in a game since New Year's Day and the Shakers boss was clearly delighted his side had finally clicked as an attacking force.

“We’ve been very professional about our business over the last eight weeks,” he said.

“I think that puts us on top of the form tables now and it gives me great pleasure the progress I have talked about is now down as a stat.

“We are plus one on goal difference, which is something we have been working towards.

“I’ve been vying for the team to get a couple more goals just so we could get into positive equity and we’ve done that tonight.

“So all round it has been a professional performance from Bury Football Club.”

Bury were made to work, however, before their attackers were able to fill their boots.

Captain Craig Jones was given a rude introduction, suffering a nasty cut above his right eye in the seventh minute following an accidental elbow from Colin Daniel.

The Shakers skipper was able to carry on, with the aid of some heavy strapping and half-time stitches, but after showing they could deal with the rough stuff, Bury slowly wrestled control of the match.

And it wasn’t long before Mayor underlined their dominance, cutting in from the left and rifling a low drive into the bottom corner.

It was the on-loan Sheffield Wednesday midfielder’s second goal in as many games, following his last-gasp winner at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Mansfield invariably took the direct approach whenever they could get hold of the ball, but were restricted to a couple of half chances, Clucas prodding a loose ball wide from close range before testing Bury stopper Brian Jensen with a hooked shot from 30 yards.

The Shakers should have taken a two-goal advantage into the break after Nardiello poked a wicked low ball from Mayor just over.

But they were two goals to the good by the 56th minute, Mayor popping up on the right to find Nardiello with another great low centre, although the Bury striker’s close-range effort only found the net via the inside of the back post.

The victory looked to have been sealed just six minutes later as Mayor put Nardiello through again and this time he crafted an exquisite lob from 30 yards for.

And while Clucas seized on a mistake from Jensen to tap into an empty net, Carroll’s stabbed shot into the turf looped over Alan Marriott in the Stags’ goal quickly restored their three goal advantage.

That saw Bury coast home to their second successive three points on the road, stretching their unbeaten run to six matches and moving them up five places to 15th in the League Two table.

Star man: Danny Mayor - The 22-year-old winger promised to add more goals and assists to his game after popping up with a 94th-minute winner against Wimbledon on Saturday, and he duly delivered. It was touch and go if he would even play amid difficult family circumstances. But the Leyland-born midfielder opened the scoring and then laid on a brace for Daniel Nardiello to cap an emotional evening for him personally, as well as a rewarding one for a team that is growing in confidence with every match.